Lost Soul
by Devils-only-one
Summary: Everything she had done had been for her loved ones. "I will have no regrets." Kagome continued down her chosen path. She didn't know how long she would be there or if they would ever figure out what had happened. "I have no regrets." One-Shot.


Hey, I'm alive! Here's something I've been working on for awhile now. I hope you enjoy it. Please read and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea that spawned in my brain.

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Terms: Some people may know them others may not  
Shinigami- Soul Reaper  
Kidō- Demon Arts or Spirit Way  
Shunpo- Flash Step  
Reishi/Reiatsu- Spiritual Energy/Pressure  
Kitsune- Fox  
Hanyou- Half-demon  
Bakudō- Way of Binding  
Hadō- Way of Destruction  
Youkai- Demon  
Otouto- Little Brother

Song- Shadows by Red

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Lost Soul

_Sunset, I close my eyes  
I pretend everything's alright_

Kagome could remember a time, when she was very young, when she didn't like her father. She was sure she didn't hate him. She wasn't sure if she even had the ability to hate anyone. But she knew she didn't like her father in a very childlike way.

When she was almost three, Kagome had asked her mother when her father had died, since she figured that must have been the reason that he wasn't around. They had been in the park where her mother sat off to the side resting while Kagome ran out her energy. She had seen fathers playing with their children and felt left out. She didn't have a father to play with her, in fact she hadn't even seen any photos of him. Her mother worked so much at the shrine that she didn't always have time for her daughter so trips out like this were rare. Her mother had set her down and explained that her father was still alive. Apparently her mama and her father had been dating for less than a year when she became pregnant with Kagome. They stayed together long enough for Kagome to be born before going their separate ways. Her father had sent money every month for Kagome's upkeep ever since.

However, she was never told the full story on why they split up. A few weeks after their conversation, she started snooping around her mother's room hoping to find something about him but not even her mother's old teenage diary told the full story. All her mother had was an old photo of her father she had kept hidden in a box. She gave the photo to Kagome letting the girl get her first look at her father. He had light blond hair with strands on either side of his eyes and some in between his eyes. His eyes were gray, which was odd considering Kagome had aqua blue and her mother had chocolate brown. He wore a strange outfit, Kagome hadn't seen anything like it, carried a fan and cane. On top of his head was a striped dark green and white hat that shadowed his eyes. Her mother told her she got her facial structure, skin color, and height from her father.

Her father came to visit for the first time, on her third birthday, which had led to the disliking of him. He gave her a pre-paid credit card with five-hundred thousand yen on it…well more like he had given it to her mother. She hadn't known how much was on the card but she did see the frown her mother had given him. He only stayed a few hours with her, mostly just talking about anything that came to mind. Kagome didn't know how to act around him as she had never spent any time with him before. After those few hours he left, waving a hand of farewell in a carefree way. She didn't received anything or see him for a while after that. No visits, no phone calls, nothing. She became angry at him, watching other kids her age as they walked with their fathers.

Her mother married her step-father when she was four. Her mother and father had never gotten married even after finding out a child was on the way. During the honeymoon, Kagome was sent to her father's for the first time.

Her father picked her up the morning her mother was to leave. They rode the bullet train to Karakura Town. It was her first time on a train and she spent most of her time staring out the window. She could feel her father watching her but didn't pay him any attention.

Upon arriving at the candy shop where her father lived, she was greeted by those living there; Tsukabishi Tessai (a tall man with slightly tanned skin and a large mustache) and Yoruichi (a dark skinned woman with purple hair).

She just stood there staring at her father and his strange employees (in truth only Tessai was an employee, Yoruichi just came and visited whenever she was bored) as they stared at her. Tessai was a little intimidating but Yoruichi just exclaimed that she was cute and gave her a big hug.

After being introduced she was given a room that would be hers, which she immediately locked the door upon entering the room. She refused to leave her room except to shower or go to the bathroom for the first few days, locking the door every time she entered. Her father had tried coaxing her out of the room but Kagome refused. She wasn't sure why she was acting like this, but she was. Meals were taken in her room, delivered by Tessai who just knocked on the door and let her know the food was there in a quiet voice. Yoruichi had tried to get her to eat with them but after three tries they all agreed to give her space.

One day her father stopped by to tell her he was going out for the day and that Tessai would be available if she needed anything. She listened through the door as her father sighed while muttering something she couldn't understand and walked away, then she waited until it fell quite before sneaking out of her room to explore. There wasn't much to the shop and back rooms. In fact it looked like a normal candy shop, and she did take some candy, until she came upon a trapdoor. She became curious, what child wouldn't after seeing such a thing in the back of a candy shop, and opened the trapdoor (which took quite a bit of effort for one so small). Below the shop was a huge landscape. There was a vast flat area with some small and large spiked hills that looked like mountains in her eyes. The walls and ceiling had been painted light blue to mimic the outside sky. She was in awe, wondering how such a thing even got down there, and started looking around for a way to climb down. She saw a ladder built into the wall. Carefully she climbed down, almost slipping once, until she finally reached the ground. The room was huge! She giggled before spreading out her arms and circling around, letting her mind run away with her.

She was down there for hours (not knowing the panic she had caused for disappearing on Tessai who had been running all over searching for her and had to beg and plead for her father to spare his life when he got home) playing games from shinobi to treasure hunter to explorer to demon hunter until she heard her father crying out her name. Looking up she spotted her father running toward her. His hat was off, his cane was on the ground, and she could see how upset he was as he reached her. He fell to his knees and began to look her over for any injuries before hugging her, saying how happy he was that she was okay. She could feel a few tears soaking her shoulder as he cried.

"I'm glad you're okay." He whispered in her ear.

She hugged her father, shocking him and his employees who had made their way down, and said how much she loved the underground playground and wanted to know if they would play with her. He pulled back, shocked at how carefree she was now. Gone was the angry child and in its place was a carefree, happy child. She kissed his cheek and laughed happily as his eyes got bigger. She then dragged him into being a hunter with her to hunt down the evil Tessai who had played along and chased her round.

It was the first time she could remember when she began to love her father as he played games with her for the rest of her time there. She was actually sad that she had to leave when her mother came back, and asked when she could visit her father again. Her father had laughed and said, "Next summer, I'll ask your mother if you can stay longer."

_Drowning in anger from all these lies  
I can't pretend everything's alright_

When she was six she watched her step-father die. It was also the first time she saw a soul separate from a body.

It was supposed to be a day just for them. Her mother was six months pregnant with her little brother and needed a little quite time, or so her step-father had said. Her step-father took her out to play at the park before going to eat lunch. Over lunch, Kagome told him about the fun games she had been playing with a few other children. They then stopped at a candle store to get a gift for her mother, her step-father placed a finger to his lips and said, "Don't tell mama, it's a surprise." Kagome giggled and did the same thing, "Okay papa."

They were walking in the cross walk on their way home when she suddenly heard a car horn honking followed by a screech of tires and people screaming. She remembered looking up to see bright lights quickly heading her way then being pushed, pain had flared through her arms and legs. She slowly sat up, rubbing at her bleeding arm, and looked up to see her step-father lying on the ground covered in blood. His eyes were open and staring at her. Her eyes connected with his and she just sat there. His eyes were glazed over, his head was at an odd angle, and his legs just flared out. She just knew he was dead.

Hearing her name being called she had looked a little to the right and saw him kneeling beside her, looking at her worriedly and asking if she was alright. There was a chain in the center of his chest leading toward his body. Her eyes follow the chain right back to his body and his hazed eyes. She wasn't sure how long she was staring at the dead body or her step-father's spirit until someone had moved her head away, telling her it would be alright. She was picked up and placed in an ambulance, she faintly heard people whispering about that poor girl or how awful it was that it had happened. Her ride to the hospital was quite, not even the paramedics knew what to say to the little girl.

Her mother had been so distraught when she heard what happened the she was admitted into the hospital for observation because the news had given her false labor pains. Kagome had been placed in the bed next to her and checked over for any broken bones or anymore scrapes. Her elbows were scratched up, as were her knees, arms, and legs. Physically she was deemed cleared. Mentally however the doctors weren't sure and wouldn't be until she came out of her shock.

Kagome remembered staring at the wall as the doctor asked her questions, holding a light to her eyes, but they stopped when her blank look didn't change. She heard him tell someone she was in shock. She had turned to see the doctor talking to her mother. Kagome tuned everything else out while she stared at her step-father as he stood between her and her mother's beds.

Her father soon came to pick her up from the hospital a few hours later, nodding to her step-father who was still there, after speaking to the doctor on how both Kagome and her mother were.

She didn't say a single word as her father picked her up and took her home to Karakura Town. She was quiet when Tessai greeted her with worried looks and she spent the night in her father's arms still in shock. She finally looked up at him and asked what happened to someone when they died.

"If a soul doesn't move on right away, such as having regrets or in your step-father's case worry for his family, a Shinigami will come to help them move on to the Soul Society. Soul Society is a paradise of sorts where souls remain until they are reincarnated."

She was silent for a moment. "So all those people with chains need a Shinigami to help them move on to this Soul Society?"

Her father hummed but stopped, "People with chains? Kagome, have you seen others with chains in their chest?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, there was this young girl named Mai and an older man who was watching his granddaughter. There were many others too."

Her father sighed. "Is there anything else you notice?"

Kagome tapped her chin in thought. "Well I notice weird lights around people. Like how you and Tessai-san have a weird purple light around you. Mama has a dull pink while my friends at school don't have any but I did notice that one of my classmates at school has a light gray one."

Her father nodded as he listened. "You said your mother has a dull pink?" Kagome nodded. "Well I think what you're seeing is people's auras. An aura is the indication of spiritual awareness however you seem to see groups as a whole and not an individual person's aura." He noticed her confused look. "It means that those who are aware and can see the spirits of those who've past have those strange lights around them. The purple lights seem to indicate Shinigami, the pink for miko's but for your mother it could mean she comes from a line of miko's. The gray around your classmate may indicate humans who can see those who've passed; normal humans don't seem to have one. It could just be because of my Shinigami abilities mixing with your mother's miko line which has allowed you to see these auras."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "Does that mean mama could see Kuro-tousan like us?"

Her father shook his head. "No, I do know that any awareness she once had went away when she had you."

She didn't see her step-father again after that day though her father did tell her that he had gone to the afterlife safely. She didn't see her father often afterwards but did spend one month every summer break around his strange candy shop.

_Please don't let me fall forever  
Can you tell me it's over?_

When she was about ten she got to meet a real Shinigami for the first time.

She had slept in, it was a Sunday after all and her father let her sleep in on the weekends, so she was in no hurry to get up. When she finally did get up, she slowly made her way downstairs and toward the table where the food was laid out waiting for her, only to stop and stare at the man sitting there eating. He had short black hair with dark gray eyes. There were three long scars from his right eye to his chin, a black 69 on his left cheek and a blue stripe on his left cheek and over his nose.

The man looked shocked at seeing her but Kagome merely smiled with a slight wave and sat down, fixing a plate of waffles that had been made earlier by Ururu.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

Kagome looked up at the man and smiled. "I'm Kagome. Who are you?"

The man blinked. "I'm Shikai Hisagi, Lieutenant of the 9th Division. Why are you in Urahara's shop?

"I live here." Kagome stated as she placed food in her mouth.

"Kagome-chan lives here once a year for a month and sometimes visits for holidays." They both turned as her father entered the room. "It's part of an agreement of joint custody between her mother and me." Her father set a folder and a box in front of Hisagi. "I trust you'll keep the knowledge of her on a need-to-know basis."

The man blinked. "You have a daughter?" Her father simply glared at him, not that she could see it with his hair and hat covering his eyes.

"I have a question," both men looked at her. "Why does Hisagi-kun have a weird mark in his aura around him? I mean it's like yours but has a thin black line around his."

Her father blinked before giving one of his goofy smiles. "Hisagi-san here is an active Shinigami. When a Capitan or Lieutenant ranked Shinigami comes into the living world their powers are limited in order to not cause too much destruction."

Kagome set her fork down. "You mean like the one that helped Koru-tousan?"

Her father nodded with his trademark goofy smile and patted her head. "Exactly; Hisagi-san has been stationed here in the Living World for a few weeks now and is returning to the Soul Society."

Kagome nodded before going back to eating before going to play in the underground training ground.

Her father would give her lessons on Shinigami and started her on the meditation for Kidō. He told her she was never to try any techniques without him there to supervise. The first spell she learned was Sai, which locked a target's arms in place behind their back.

She only needed a few days to master it, surprising her father, before he let her practice on him since she wouldn't hurt him. In the morning she would learn the history and theory of Shinigami and spells and in the afternoon she would practice her sword work.

Yoruichi was even her Shunpo sensei. Yoruichi, as she had learned when she started coming out of her room, was a fun loving type of person who often liked to grab the young girl into hugs in the middle of a lesson. Kagome loved to spend time with her, especially when Yoruichi was in her cat form. Her father treated her like a real cat then, often leaving out bowls of milk and food for her. Whenever Kagome felt down, Yoruichi would cuddle up with her in cat form as the young girl talked out her feelings.

Throughout the year, Kagome would meditate at home and attend kendo classes that her father paid for. Her sensei had taken over her Kidō lessons with her father's permission so she could learn more and keep in practice. Whenever she visited her father he would test her then teach her some new tricks.

_There's a hate inside of me like some kind of master  
I tried to save you, but I can't find the answer_

At the age of fifteen she had been pulled down the well (now she knew why her grandfather kept her away from there), found out she was a reincarnation (something that made her mad after a while), shattered the Shikon no Tama (a very powerful jewel that had been ripped from her body), found a group of friends (more like a second family), and now was sitting staring at the fire the night before what was hopefully going to be the final battle against Naraku.

Her friends, the bonds keeping her to the past, were always fighting as hard as they could while she stood in the back biting her lips with an arrow ready. She couldn't use any Shinigami techniques because her father had told she was never to use them except against hollows. Plus she wasn't sure how to explain it to them if they saw her fighting nothing (normal humans couldn't see hollows or Shinigami and she wasn't sure if her friends could see either).

Of course she wasn't the best miko in history. At first she had been eager to learn much about the miko way, a way of fighting that she could use. She had compared her miko powers to a Shinigami using Reishi. After the ordeal with Inuyasha and the discovery of the Shikon no Tama inside her, Kaede had given her an old bow and a new quiver of arrows for her to practice with. The old miko had taught her how to hold a bow properly, aim, and shoot. She had listened to Kaede closely the first few days in lessons…until she learned about Kikyo.

Kikyo was a better miko, a better fighter, and over all a better woman according to Inuyasha…and according to a few of the women who whispered around in the village. Kagome heard the woman talking as they washed their clothes. She had wanted to ask them for more information but she had also heard some of the men talking about how strange her clothes were. So she had gone to Kaede. Kagome was almost identical to Kikyo according to Kaede. They had the same facial features, the same hair color, the only thing different about them was Kagome's eyes and their power levels. Kagome was as powerful untrained as Kikyo was fully trained. And of course they had both been in love with Inuyasha.

It had started out slowly, he would protect her but that was the only nice thing he ever did. He was rude, always charged headfirst into battle without a plan, had no manners whatsoever, and often called her names. But as time went on, she saw sides of Inuyasha that no one else had seen. A more gentle Inuyasha. He treated her wounds, carried her when she sprained her ankle, and sometimes boosted her confidence.

For a while Kagome had wanted Inuyasha's love for herself but she knew she could never compete with Kikyo and their past love. Looking so much like Kikyo had caused Kagome to become self-conscious about her looks. Every little thing she did was scrutinized by someone in the village, mostly followed by whispered comments about Kikyo. Little by little her self-confidence was chipped away until Kagome would let Inuyasha belittle her and she would come crawling back to him.

She hadn't wanted to become a miko like Kikyo so she didn't train.

She hadn't wanted to learn anything besides shooting arrows and channeling her power through them.

She didn't want to be Kikyo.

And now, she sighed as she looked at her hand, she wished that she had. She wished she had asked Kaede for more information; she wished she had taken training more seriously like she did with her Shinigami training; she wished she had asked the few other miko's they had met along their journey about any tips or information she needed to know. She knew it was stupid what she had done and yet in her mind she had justified it. As long as Higurashi Kagome didn't train in her miko powers then she couldn't be Kikyo. And if she wasn't Kikyo then Inuyasha might like her for her.

Kagome sighed at her stupidity. She still felt so useless. Raising her eyes, she looked around the fire observing her friends.

Shippo, the small kitsune that had lost his father only four months before was sitting bravely by her side stating he would protect her tomorrow. She remembered when she first met the young boy, scared and timid yet he had been brave and stolen her shards to avenge his father's death. Kagome had seen a kindred spirit in him as she later had with all of her friends that she had met while traveling. It had been tough in the beginning to trust him, he did after all steal from her, but after she caught him crying at night for his father she had cuddled with him. "I know it hurts Shippo-kun, but I know your father is in a better place, a paradise of sorts, where he's waiting to be reborn."

She looked over toward Sango. Brave, strong Sango who had to watch as her own brother killed her father and their comrades before supposedly dying himself. She had then been further tricked by thinking Inuyasha had killed her village for their shards. Sango, desperate and saddened, had used what was supposed to be the last of her strength to hunt down and kill them. Kagome had been the one to fill Sango in as they hunted down Naraku who had really tricked her. Sango had been full of anger at being tricked by the one who killed her family and her friends. Kagome had understood the anger, the sadness, and the uncertainty that had later filled the slayer as she learned that her brother was still alive. She was now determined to free her brother from the hanyou's grasp, a promise she had made with Kagome listening in.

Kagome's eyes looked toward their monk friend and Sango's fiancé. The monk, Kagome could tell, was growing more tired the longer he had his cursed hand. Miroku had been the older brother she needed at times and at others just a great friend who gave them all a great laugh. He had struggled with the knowledge from a young age that if Naraku wasn't defeated then he would die like his father and grandfather before him, sucked into a dark void that rested on his right hand. He was a lecher, Kagome would give him that, and was often asking woman to bare him a son to continue on his life's work should he die early (though none of the girls knew that). It had taken him a while to admit that joining their little group (which at the time was only her, Shippo, and Inuyasha) was the best idea to go after Naraku. He would secure them rooms on cold nights if they were near a village, he protected her in the beginning as she was still learning to shoot her arrows, he found ways to get them good food, and even held her one night as she remembered her step-father after one of Naraku's tricks.

It had been about three weeks after Sango had joined them. Naraku had somehow attacked them in their sleep (they were still trying to figure out how exactly it was done even though it hadn't been done since) causing them to see random parts of their lives. They had watched as Miroku had tried to run to his father as he died, Shippo as he learned to track with his father, Sango as she showed her brother how to throw his chosen weapon, and even Inuyasha as a young boy with his mother learning to read.

But the biggest shock to the close group was watching Kagome as her step-father died again and seeing her just sitting there staring at his dead body then at his soul. Kagome stood off to the side and watched the whole thing again with helpless feelings. She had fallen down to her knees as she watched the car impact her father. She let a few tears slide down her face as she let her eyes wander to her younger self. The shock was evident in her young eyes and it sent a shiver down her friend's spines.

Inuyasha had been the one to defeat the incarnation but fled for the night so no one would see him cry. Shippo had hidden in the foot of Kagome's sleeping bag and cried himself to sleep. Sango had stared at the fire for a few hours unmoving and Miroku had silently cried. But Kagome had been more vocal. She had cried for each of them, for Inuyasha and his mother, for Sango and her brother, for Miroku and his father, for Shippo and his father, and for her own family. Miroku had held her as she cried loudly, explaining through her tears about her step-father and how he had died.

Hearing a loving sigh Kagome looked up from her thoughts toward Inuyasha. Inuyasha was her first true crush and heartbreak, her first real look at something non-human. She had loved the idea that he wasn't human but was crushed when she learned about Kikyo. She had tried to take Inuyasha from her, to make him see Kagome and not Kikyo, but she soon learned she was fighting a losing battle as Inuyasha had seemed more determined than ever to see Kikyo either alive and well or finally put to a peaceful rest.

Sighing again Kagome looked back toward the flames. All of their problems and thoughts that night were on Naraku. Naraku, a human man turned hanyou turned youkai. She had felt sorry for the human heart buried deep inside that mass of demonic flesh. He had just wanted love in the beginning, he had wanted a woman to love him and he had wanted Kikyo. When he had seen Kagome for the first time Naraku was shocked, whether he saw Kagome or Kikyo the young miko didn't know, but she soon became the target of his interests. His soul was crying out, she could feel it as long as he had the jewel, for Kikyo…who was sitting next to Inuyasha seemingly asleep. Though whether or not the undead miko could sleep was another matter. She had joined their group only a few weeks ago. Inuyasha was quite happy that Kagome didn't fight the miko joining them.

In fact Kagome had simply smiled at the undead miko and welcomed her, keeping her sorrow hidden deep within her. She cried inside each time Inuyasha held Kikyo's hand, each time he looked at the undead miko lovingly, each time he kissed her.

Of course they weren't the only ones after Naraku. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older half-brother, had a grudge against the foul man ever since he tried to trick him. It involved giving him a human arm tainted with a jewel shard to replace his missing arm that Inuyasha had cut off. Naraku later then tried to kill his ward, a little human girl named Rin. There was also Koga, a wolf demon who fancied himself in love with her. Koga had been tricked into thinking that Inuyasha had slaughtered his tribe when the truth was one of Naraku's incarnations had done the deed.

_I'm holding onto you, I'll never let go  
I need you with me as I enter the shadows_

Pulling her legs to her chest, Kagome clasped a necklace she had hidden on her after her last visit to her era. She had decided to see her father one last time before the final battle against Naraku. They knew where he was, he had most of the jewel and she had the rest, and now it was just a waiting game…one that would be finished after the new moon.

It had been a split second decision after a conversation with Sango about their fathers. After she had fought with Inuyasha on her going, which resulted in her winning as she pointed out that they couldn't do anything until the new moon had passed anyway as both Inuyasha and Naraku would experience weak points (which had led to an even bigger fight about whether it was the right time to attack or not), she had left through the well telling Inuyasha to tell her mother if Naraku was on the move and her mother would tell her.

She had packed her trusty yellow backpack and took the first express train to Karakura Town she could get. Her mother hadn't said anything but simply looked worried at her. She had been stressed and worried about how the battle would go, she wasn't even sure if they could defeat Naraku as they had no idea where his human heart was though she could guess it was somewhere with Kanna. Her mother must have picked up on that but didn't comment…something Kagome was grateful for.

She hadn't thought of anything as she hurried to the station, grabbing a quick snack as she had hurried straight from the past to the station. Throughout the train ride Kagome had ran every battle they had fought against Naraku through her head trying to find a weakness they could exploit. Every time Naraku sent an incarnation, every time he sent a puppet, every time he came himself, the only reason they lived was because they had either used everything they had or because they had pushed Naraku into a corner. But they hadn't escaped battle unharmed. Usually Inuyasha was the worst followed by Sango and Miroku. Kagome usually had the least physical injuries (Shippo very rarely got hurt as he was always near Kagome) unless she had been the target. She was however always mentally scarred after each battle whether by Naraku's tricks or his brutally to her friends.

Kagome was thankful she had a car to herself as a few tears slipped through her lashes. She was weak; she didn't have any strong skills that could help in a battle against Naraku. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Koga were all driven by sorrow. Sesshomaru just wanted revenge for being used. They were all strong and getting stronger with each battle. And while she had gotten stronger, she had also gotten weaker.

She hadn't practiced her powers except in battle. She had a limit to her powers; she had a limit to how many arrows she could fire; she had a limit to how long she could fight. Even if she trained the entire week she was at her father's she still wouldn't grow.

More tears slipped from her eyes. She couldn't defeat Naraku as she was. Even with all her friends by her side, she was going to die. She was going to die! She clasped a hand over her mouth to prevent the sobs from rising up. Even with everything they had, Naraku was still too strong as long as he had the Shikon. She was going to…

No she couldn't think like that. She had to believe they were strong enough, that she would live, that they would win. Taking a deep breath she wiped the falling tears. She closed her eyes to meditate, the rocking of the train calming her down as she tried to clear her mind.

Arriving at the station, she looked around for his usual green and white striped hat and dark green coat. Not seeing him in the crowed station, she briefly wondered if her mother forgot to call and inform him of her arrival. Kagome shrugged and shouldered her bag and headed for the candy shop. She wanted to spend her (possibly) last week stress free and practicing her shooting and Kidō.

The walk was peaceful, allowing Kagome a chance to relax for the first time in a while. It was late summer so school was just about back in session. The city life around her was busy, cars honking, people rushing past. This is was what Kagome loved about the modern era.

She arrived at the shop and let herself in, greeting Tessai who said her father was out and would be back soon. Kagome thanked him, patting Ururu on the head as she passed, and hurried upstairs to her room to drop off her bag. Tsumugiya Ururu and Hanakari Jinta were two human children who worked in the shop in exchange for training. Kagome had first been concerned about children working in this shop but after seeing what they could do she simply smiled at them.

She then wandered back downstairs into the shop and began to look through all the items her father sold to Shinigami when they were in the living world, and at the different types of regular candy he sold (her father had often told her she could take whatever she wanted though she kept asking).

The items to Shinigami were off to one side, usually in an area where normal customers didn't buy from. Of course it also helped that he had boxes near that display so people thought the candy was no good or not yet on sale no matter how cute some of the items looked. She let her eyes glance over many objects that she already knew about but stopped when she came across a strange necklace. There were four layers of circles with words she couldn't make out in each layer. The necklace reeked of a dark Reiatsu, or spiritual pressure, if she remembered her father's lessons correctly. The entire necklace was no bigger than her palm.

She reached out a hand to grab the necklace when a hand suddenly appeared and covered the necklace. Kagome blinked as she looked up at her father. "I shouldn't have left this out if I knew you were coming over." He took the necklace and placed it on wooden plate and covered it with a glass lid.

"What does it do?" She was always curious whenever her father was involved. Over the years she had learned a lot about the different items he sold and invented. He was a scientist and often experimented with anything and everything. Not everything he made was morally correct but she didn't care.

"Well," he looked at the necklace, "it's supposed to, in theory, take a Hollow into Hueco Mundo if it's too strong for a Shinigami to handle and back up can't arrive. However when the first necklace was tested on a stuffed animal it took the toy, the necklace, some of the ground, and the cane used to place the necklace on the toy to Hueco Mundo. The project was scrapped since there's no way to send the Hollow away without sending the Shinigami since the Shinigami has to be in contact with the necklace." He looked back at her, "we're now just trying to find a way to destroy this one, which is proven to be slightly difficult." She dropped the subject but the necklace had kept nagging at her.

She had spent the week with her father, learning more Kidō spells that she hoped she could use against Naraku if it came down to it. Her father and her sensei liked to jump around in spells as long as she knew the theory behind the spell. They didn't want her going above number 55 on any spells; her father stated that he was worried she wouldn't have the energy to pull them off.

She took a few walks to clear her mind and enjoy the modern era one last time. She enjoyed the time out with her father, dragging him to a few shops to buy her things. Some nights she spent on the roof watching the moon as it slowly moved across the sky. Sometimes she wished that she didn't have to go back to the past, that she could wake up and this would all be a dream. But that way of thinking wouldn't get her anywhere. She wouldn't trade her friends for anything.

She had tried to put the thoughts of the necklace out of her mind by practicing on spells and her bow and arrow on targets her father had set up of her.

One day she had been running around shooting arrows, pretending to dodge attacks and surprise an enemy, when she felt a huge burst of Reiatsu behind her. Still in a battle mindset, Kagome turned and released an arrow, shocked when she noticed the arrow flying toward a boy with orange hair.

"Look out!" The boy looked shocked but managed to dodge the arrow and its purifying properties. Kagome had run over to him as he lay on the ground shocked. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't expecting anyone to be down here so I kind of spaced out. And when I felt your Reiatsu I just attacked on instinct." She knelt down and looked him over. He was kind of hot, she could admit as she felt around for any injuries.

"It's alright but damn was that strong." The boy stood up and looked where her arrow had landed, leaving a small hole in the ground where it hit. "I didn't know a Quincy could do that."

Kagome blinked. "What's a Quincy?"

"Quincy's are spiritually aware humans able to absorb and manipulate Reishi into spiritual weapons, usually a bow. While Shinigami govern the cycle of souls from the living world to Soul Society and back, Quincy's extinguish Hollows disrupting the balance of souls." They both stood and turned toward her father as he walked up to them. "Miko's and monk's eventually became Quincy's as time went on and changed from battling youkai to removing Hollows. Not too long ago all of the Quincy's were killed except a few to maintain the balance of souls."

Kagome blinked again. "Oh," she turned back to the boy. "I'm Kagome by the way, Higurashi Kagome, miko-in-training." She bowed to him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, Substitute Shinigami." He bowed back before pausing. "Well ex-Shinigami."

"Substitute?" She tilted her head, confused.

"Yeah, it's a long story but I was Shinigami even though I'm alive." Ichigo shrugged. "Hat and Clogs here is going to help me get my powers back."

"Kagome," she turned toward her father, "your mother called saying a friend stopped by with a message. "He's on the move." Are you involved in anything I should know about?" Her father crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

Kagome chuckled and shook her head. "No it's nothing bad I promise, see my friends and I are playing a war type game with another group and if we "kill" the leader then we win. Their leader had been out of town on a family trip and must be back." She turned back to Ichigo. "It was nice meeting you Kurosaki-san, I hope that we can meet again."

She took off running to pack. As she finished she once again thought back to the necklace. Biting her lip, a flash of an idea that had appeared in her mind appeared again, Kagome slipped down into the shop and took the necklace and folder that was next to it and didn't look back as she stuffed them in her bag and quickly yelled her goodbyes. As she ran down the road to the station a few tears slipped from her eyes. _Please forgive me father._

_Caught in the darkness, I go blind  
but can you help me find my way out?_

After returning to the past Kagome met up with the others and they started off toward where Naraku was. Under her school shirt was the necklace she had taken. They continued walking silently until night had fallen. They set up a small camp where they were joined by Kikyo. Tomorrow they would travel for half a day until they met Koga and Sesshomaru. Then the following day they would face Naraku. Kagome sighed as she laid down, just two more days. She clenched the necklace.

Meeting up with Koga and Sesshomaru the next day was easy. The night before the battle, though, was mentally tough as each person kept to themselves. Kagome had been lost in her own world, reciting the incantation to the spell.

She thought about her family, what would they think about what she had planned? She thought about her friends, in both times, and what they would do if they knew. So many possibilities ran through her mind, so many outcomes. At night she had shed one tear, one tear for all that she was leaving behind.

She was awoken as the sun rose. No one said a thing as they ate quickly. Fear and determination was written on every face. As they left the campsite Kagome held her head up high. Today everything would end. Today Naraku would die (hopefully the only one) and the quest would be over.

The battle started as soon as their now larger group entered a clearing. Youkai poured out of the nearby forest on Naraku's command. Corpses soon littered the ground as they got to quick work dispatching the oncoming youkai. Kagome had stayed near the back with her three quivers of arrows firing at anything that came within reach. Hearing Shippo cry out, she released three arrows in a row destroying a wave of youkai that were headed for her.

"Damn we can't win like this." Kagome moved from her current location, having to kill more youkai as she went.

"Hiraikotsu." Sango was off to Kagome's right using her large bone boomerang weapon as often as she could for the long range youkai. She alternated between the boomerang and her sword as much as she could. Kagome felt the boomerang flying past her taking out a youkai that had attempted to sneak up from behind. Kagome yelled out her thanks as she took out another youkai.

She growled out as she fired another arrow. Beside her, Shippo jumped out sending out a small burst of foxfire giving her time to shoot an arrow at the ugly crow youkai. Feeling a burst of wind rush past her, she looked around to see Miroku trying to suck in as many low level youkai before the pain became too much. A quick shout from Inuyasha had the monk cursing as he covered his hand from Naraku's poisonous insect's and began fighting with his staff.

Kagome took a deep breath and tried to focus on the youkai coming at her. She kept moving and firing arrows as much as she could. No matter how many she killed, more and more youkai came to take its place. Suddenly her foot slipped from blood on the ground allowing a youkai to get a lucky hit to her stomach. She went flying backwards and hit the ground hard. She could hear Shippo calling her name but a shadow standing over her drew her attention.

Above her was a large ogre with a club in its hand ready to smash her. Thinking quickly, she pointed a finger at him. _Hadō #1, Sh_ō. A small amount of energy built up in a split second before being released from her fingertip. The energy slammed into the stomach of the ogre with enough force to push it back a few feet from her and onto its ass. Kagome sighed as she quickly stood and Shippo jumped onto her shoulder.

"I didn't know you could do that Kagome."

"I'm not supposed to Shippo, not against anything that isn't a Hollow." Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she surveyed the battlefield. There was a lot of blood and remains of youkai lay splattered everywhere.

"_Adamant Barrage_!" She saw the diamond shards flying toward Naraku tearing through a huge wave of youkai that stood in between them. Inuyasha was using all his hanyou strength to defeat Naraku. Both hanyou's were trying to keep the other at bay while trying to get the upper hand. Inuyasha would use any attack he could while Naraku would redirect youkai to block. Sesshomaru wasn't too far behind in attacking Naraku.

A stream of pink light filled her vision for a second. Kikyo was taking out as many youkai as she could. Kagome bit her lip as she watched the elder miko fight. From what Kagome could sense Kikyo was doing maximum damage with little power, something she couldn't do. Blue streaks filled her vision as Sesshomaru unleashed his sword, Bakusaiga. The youkai in the way were completely obliterated. Nothing remained. Rin cheered on from the side behind a barrier as Sesshomaru moved onto the next group that got between him and Naraku.

She could even hear Koga running around fighting any youkai that came his way.

Sighing Kagome jumped right back into the fray. As each arrow was fired her energy levels were depleted. She didn't know how to fire an arrow like Kikyo, something she once again cursed at as she was forced to dodge roll an attacking youkai.

"Sango!" looking up, Kagome saw Sango about to be sliced by an air-born youkai. Cursing Kagome stood and muttered a quick incantation under her breath. "_Hadō #54, Haien_," she yelled as she swung her right hand across her body and upward. An oblong blast of purple energy flew from her hand toward the youkai, incinerating it as soon as the energy made contact. The youkai cried out as it was engulfed in flames. Not even ashes were left.

Kneeling down Kagome tried to catch her breath. "Damnit, shouldn't have done that." She tried to stand but she realized that her last attack had taken way too much energy. Clenching the necklace, Kagome closed her eyes and tried to think. Doing this, she knew there was no going back…and yet as she looked over each of her friends as they battled bravely she knew she would shatter if any of them died. All around her she could hear youkai screeching out in death, her friends cries of pain, and Naraku's cruel laughter.

Opening her eyes, the miko-in-training knew one thing. She wouldn't regret this. She would die for them. She would protect them.

She forced her legs to work as she stood up. "Shippo go hide near Kikyo." The kitsune kit gave her a look of confusion before nodding and took off running. "I love you otouto." She smiled fondly at the young kit before turning toward the battle. She was weak, tired, sore, and she knew she was about to do the stupidest thing she had done yet.

But she wouldn't regret it.

She would never regret it.

Tossing her bow to the ground, it was quickly followed by her almost empty quivers. She slowly made her way toward Naraku. Using up so much spirit energy through her arrows and then her two Kidō attacks left her tired. She forced herself to block out the tiredness as she stumbled over dead corpses, slipped in puddles of blood. She even had to use a few corpses to steady herself. Sango and Miroku were unknowingly clearing the way for her, yelling at her to get back or at least to get her bow first.

Kagome shook her head and ignored them, concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other while avoiding being attack. Thankfully Sango was still clearing the way for her.

She thought of how many lives she would save, her family, her friends, and how she wished it didn't come down to this. She could sense the darkened jewel almost whole within Naraku. If her plan worked she would have to get the jewel while Naraku was confused.

_This will work_. She thought as she looked toward Sesshomaru. _This will work_.

Kagome smiled slightly as she saw Sesshomaru using Bakusaiga to destroy parts of Naraku's body. Sesshomaru had been an unknown constant in their journey, first coming to find a sword, then to take said sword from Inuyasha, then to in a backwards way train Inuyasha on how to use the sword, and finally to help them kill Naraku. He hated humans yet he allowed a little girl to follow him. He couldn't stand the stench of humans, yet he had approached them while they were in a village to offer his help in their battles.

Taking a deep breath, she turned away from Sesshomaru and called on all the strength she had. Kagome took off at a run toward Naraku. She could hear the others yelling at her now to come back but she kept pressing on. If this was to be the last thing she did alive then she would never regret it.

She jumped over loose pieces of flesh, running through puddles of blood, and tried to keep out of reach of Naraku's root-like tentacles. She slipped on a pulled of blood, causing her to fall backward thankfully missing a youkai that had tried to cut off her head. Groaning (while trying to ignoring that her entire back was now covered in blood) she pushed herself back up on her feet and continued to move closer to Naraku.

As she neared the center of the mess she felt several tentacles block her view of the others. The human looking portion of Naraku was standing there looking at her with the blackened jewel around his neck. "Foolish miko, do you really think you can defeat me as you are. No weapon, tired, weak." He held out his hand. "Join me and I can show you power beyond your wildest imagination. Become mine and no longer will you suffer." She ignored his rant as she approached slowly, looking as if she would accept his offer.

All she needed was a second, a single second where he was distracted.

And it came in the form of Inuyasha slicing away some of Naraku's massive body while yelling out for her causing the youkai in front of her to look at him annoyed. Kagome wasted no time and grabbed Naraku in a hug and crying out the activation words.

"The darkness is my light and the light is my darkness. I am of the light and I am of the dark. Unite the fallen souls in the heavenly grave. Kings of three, I command thee, unleash the gateway to the end!" The words on the necklace glowed in time with the chant. As she finished, the necklace let off a huge burst of Reishi.

She could feel the buildup of dark Reiatsu as purple clouds surrounded her and Naraku and the necklace continued to glow. The clouds tore through the extra flesh of the lesser youkai separating it from the main body.

"What have you done?" Naraku yelled as he tried to dislodge himself from Kagome but the miko simply held on tighter. A few tears slid down from her eyes as she clenched the hanyou as tight as she could. The clouds began to spin around them faster becoming more solid. Her hair was flying everywhere as the winds howled.

"Kagome get out of there!"

"Kagome-chan!"

"Kagome-sama what have you done!"

Kagome looked over at her friends as the clouds circled them faster and faster, creating a black and purple barrier around them. "Remember I will always love you!" She had yelled as the barrier closed. The dark Reishi was suffocating; she could barely breathe let alone keep her grip on Naraku.

She had reached out in an afterthought and grabbed the jewel, filling the area inside the barrier with a bright pink light as her hand clenched the jewel tightly. A loud scream came from where the light hit Naraku.

Soon the dark feeling was so intense and heavy that Kagome had to let go of Naraku and blacked out just as the black and purple barrier released them.

_Nobody hears me; I suffer the silence  
Can you tell me it's over now?_

When Kagome woke up the first thing she realized was she wasn't sore. The muscle pain in her legs was gone as were the cuts on her arms and side. She could feel sand under her and the dark residue of Reishi all around her.

Looking around as she sat up, she could see dunes of a desert all around her. A few single trees stood here or there but Kagome could tell they weren't made of wood. The dark night around her was different than the nights she was used to. The sky was black and white, the sand around her was more white than the yellow-brown she had seen in pictures of deserts.

She couldn't see anyone or feel anyone. Not even Naraku. She was alone in this unknown world.

She moved her hand and felt the jewel rolling between her flesh and the sand. Holding up the shimmering pink jewel Kagome couldn't help but smile at least once, at least she had it and not Naraku.

That was when she got a good look at herself.

She was wearing a black shihakusho and a white obi she had seen the Shinigami wear at her father's house, complete with the straw sandals. There was a light blue strap that lay across her chest and up around her back was an empty sheath. She was no longer covered in blood. She fingered the clothes not sure why she had them on when she could clearly remember wearing her school uniform.

What had happened to Naraku anyway? She remembered passing out, then…A few images flashed through her mind. As a final image settled in her mind Kagome had to cover her mouth to prevent throwing up. She…how…_oh Kami, I_...she shook her head trying to forget the images of Naraku's death. Looking down she noticed a sword lying beside her. It looked like a regular katana. Grabbing the hilt, Kagome stood and looked around her as she pocketed the Shikon.

Sand, sand, and more sand. She sighed as she placed the sword in the sheath on her back. "So this is Hueco Mundo?" She thought out loud. No one responded, not that she was expecting one anyway. Sighing again, Kagome began to walk forward. She didn't know where she was going or what she was going to do but she knew she couldn't stay out in the open. As she approached a tree she saw it wasn't made of wood just like she had assumed but instead was made of black quartz. Touching the tree she could feel loneliness pouring off it.

She frowned as she realized something she had missed a few moments before. She was hungry but she didn't want normal food. She had a longing in her stomach but she couldn't place what it was.

She let her arm fall to her side and continued walking.

She wasn't sure how long she walked, the night seemed never ending. She just kept putting one foot in front of the other until she heard a loud cry behind her. Turning around Kagome saw a creature that looked like a demon with a bone-white mask covering its face and humanoid teeth.

It wasn't like anything she had ever seen before.

The creature gave another loud cry as it raised its arm in attempt to claw her to shreds. Kagome froze up in fear at the sight of the monster before she felt herself jumping backwards at the last second on reflex. The arm collided with the ground leaving a huge crater.

She reached up to grab the hilt of her sword and barely blocked another attempt to rip her apart.

"_The mask…break…the mask…_"

"What? The mask?" Kagome looked at the creature as she jumped left. The mask looked harmless but something kept telling her to break the mask. Flipping backwards, not even sure how she knew how to do that, Kagome jumped up and raised her sword.

The creature got a good hit at her side and sent her flying. She landed on her side and had to roll back up to her feet.

"…_Break the mask, call my name and break the mask…_"

"Call your name? I don't even know your name." Kagome cried out as she blocked another hit.

"Stupid fool! I will devoir you and take your power for my own." The creature yelled out as it opened its mouth and a red light appeared. Kagome growled as she clinched her sword tighter and jumped just as the light was about to hit her. The creature looked up as Kagome came flying down.

And suddenly it was like a light had been flipped on in her head. She landed right where the creature had been, blocking another swipe before standing up fully. Holding the sword out beside her, she swung it till it was in front of her. "Shine Runashi, Goddess of the Lunar Moon!" The sword seemed to glow bright, in which she let go of the sword, before fading completely, leaving behind what looked like a simple sword. She grabbed the hilt and swung it downward displaying the last of the light.

She didn't get a chance to look at her blade as the creature growled loudly again. Raising her blade Kagome heard the words flowing through her, from where she didn't know, but she used them anyway. "_Mikazuki Burēdo_ (Crescent Moon Blades)." Dozens of small crescent moons flew out of her sword as she swung it in front of her left from right instinctively. The moons flew forward like mini arrows, striking the creature in various places and mostly its mask.

The creature cried out in pain as the mask broke. It then collapsed as a black cloud left the creature and flew upward. "_Slice the body, purify it_." The weird voice returned.

So far the voice hadn't led her astray. Moving closer to the creature, Kagome slashed through it. Her blade glowed brightly as it moved through the body. A white light appeared around the body before fading.

Kagome blinked as she looked at her sword again. At first look it looked like a regular katana. Upon second glance the blade was white with an unearthly shine to it. The guard was solid black with two crescent moons cut out. The hilt was wrapped with white leather leaving diamond cutouts showing a black handle underneath. At the end of the handle was a two foot long chain with a round cage at the end. The sword overall was 50 inches long not counting the chain.

In all, it was beautiful.

Looking at the cage on the end she could see it was open, as if waiting for her to put something in it. She removed the jewel from her pocket, unsure if it would even fit, then slowly placed the jewel inside the cage. The cage glowed brightly for a second and she heard a clicking sound and the light faded. The jewel now rested inside the cage as if it was nothing more than a simple marble. She couldn't even feel the pull of the jewel or even see the hinge for the door any more.

Looking away from her blade to the creature, a strange feeling suddenly overtook her. She was hungry, very hungry.

Kneeling down she gulped, she couldn't believe she was considering this, and grabbed the creatures arm. "_Eat, it'll help_." Gulping again, she leaned over and took a bite of the flesh. Although it was raw and slightly tough, it tasted slightly like overcooked venison. Suddenly she didn't feel as hungry as she did before as she swallowed. Although disgusted, she continued to eat her fill.

_There's a hate inside of me like some kind of master  
I tried to save you, but I can't find the answer_

Kagome sighed as she finished eating her fill. She looked at the rest of the remains. What was that creature?

"_That was a Hollow, an Adjuchas Hollow to be more precise_."

"So that was a Hollow? Wait a second," she looked around but didn't see anyone. All that was there was the remains and her. "Who said that?"

"_I did_." Kagome looked around again. "_Place a barrier and enter your mind_."

Kagome sighed as she looked for a good place to sit. Off in the distance was a single tree. It was as good as any she decided. Standing she was amazed as the creature, the Hollow, turned to dust.

She swiftly made her way using Shunpo, thankful that no more Hollows attacked her. Reaching the tree, Kagome placed a hand on the bark…no it wasn't bark but hard stone. She sat with her back to the tree and placed her sword across her lap. Taking a deep breath, Kagome entered a meditative state as she placed a barrier around her like her father had taught her. It had taken both her father and Yoruichi over two weeks to get her to understand and enter a meditative state.

Opening her eyes Kagome saw she was in a large village that reminded her of a mix of the modern era and the Sengoku Jidai. There were huts all lined up like a large city and there were stone roads and sidewalks. She began to wander around, not quite knowing where she was or where she was going, until she came across the only person there. The woman who was sitting on the edge of a well and was looking up at the sky but Kagome gasped slightly as she got a good look at her.

The woman had long hair pulled up into high pigtails on either side of her head that reached her waist with two chest length long bangs on either side of her face and a flower behind each ear. She was wearing a skin tight top that ended just under the breast. The long sleeves hung off her shoulders leaving them bare, with holes cut in the shape of diamonds down her sleeves. The sleeves reached her wrists and hung off her arms. Her long skirt had slits up to her mid-thighs on the sides exposing her legs. On her feet were bandages wrapped up from her toes to her ankles. The left side of her clothing, hair, and eyes were black while the right side was white. As Kagome stared she noticed she looked slightly like an older version of Kanna.

"Welcome Kagome to your inner world."

_I'm holding onto you, I'll never let go  
I need you with me as I enter the shadows_

Kagome looked around. "My inner world?"

"Yes, this is your inner world, a place where I reside and we can meet face to face. I, as you now know, am Runashi."

Kagome looked confused. "I don't understand."

"Do you remember what your father told you about Shinigami and their weapons?"

The miko nodded as she ran over the information. "Zanpakuto's are the main weapons of a Shinigami and differ for each wielder. A Zanpakuto is a part of the Shinigami's soul, so it cannot be replaced and the size reflects the amount of spiritual power, though no matter the size or shape, the Shinigami can wield it as it's a part of their soul. Um…" Kagome tapped her chin, "there are three forms of the Zanpakuto-sealed, Shikai, and Bankai…"

Runashi nodded. "Correct. Since your father was once a Shinigami and had high spiritual, it was no surprise that Shinigami powers were passed on to you. As you traveled across Japan I called out to you many times yet you never heard my name..."

"Wait a minute," Kagome interrupted her, "when a Shinigami first gains their Zanpakuto form the academy their sword is sealed and looks like a regular katana until they learn their Zanpakuto's name. That usually takes a while after awaking their Shinigami powers but I did so in just a short amount of time. Plus I was never given an academy issue sword. How do I even have one?"

"Again, correct. When you arrived in Hueco Mundo you had passed out but so had Naraku who was still around. Your Shinigami powers had activated due to your rather unique entrance into Hueco Mundo. I'm sure you remember what happened next," Kagome nodded as she looked a little unsettled. "Well you immediately went from a living human to a Shinigami and after defeating Naraku you collapsed from overuse of your powers."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "But even after," she swallowed quickly, "defeating Naraku, why did I collapse and for how long?"

"As you know, you've never been able to fully control your miko powers, so when you were first able to hear my voice I made it easier for us to communicate. If you recall, you have been told that your soul was so great that Kanna could not steal it all from you."

Kagome nodded. "I remember but what does that have to do with anything?"

"That was due to the vast amount of Reiatsu you possess." Runashi smiled. "Your soul and Reiatsu are interlinked. As you trained slightly with your miko powers, your Reiatsu slightly increased as well. As for your second question, I do not know. I only know that I've been with you since you were young."

Kagome nodded again as things started to make sense. "And that creature I fought? That was a Hollow?"

Runashi nodded again. "Hollows, as you know, are former human souls that lose their human hearts or remain in the living world too long. Though most Hollows are simply transformed human souls, a sub-group of Hollows known as Menos exist. Menos are conglomerations of hundreds of normal Hollows, resulting in a single composite entity of far greater strength than any normal Hollow. Menos are created when the void within an ordinary Hollow's heart becomes so substantial that human souls are incapable of sustaining it, at which point it begins devouring fellow Hollows to gain more power.

"When you broke the mask you cleansed the Hollow of any sins it committed while being a Hollow. The human soul it once was and the souls it devoured have moved on to the reincarnation process. The only difference between a normal Shinigami and you is that here the flesh and power remain behind to be fed upon. Normally the Hollow disappears altogether but here the flesh does not. You ate the leftover flesh to satisfy your hunger."

Kagome blinked. "I have to eat those things to satisfy my hunger?"

Runashi nodded. "They are the only food source here. The stronger the Hollow is that we devour, the less often you need to eat. Now, there are three types of Menos here in Hueco Mundo that you should know about- Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde. Gillians are the first and weakest of all Menos. They are slow and have beast-like intellect. Gillians are huge monster Hollows towering at least 2-6 stories tall, easily dwarfing even the largest standard Hollow. They all have a white mask with an elongated nose. Their bodies are covered from their head to their feet with a black covering reminiscent of a cloak. Around their neck is a row of thin white spikes.

"Then there are Adjuchas. They are smaller than Gillians and far fewer in number. However, they're much smarter and stronger than Gillians. They're often the ones who lead Gillians into battle. Vasto Lorde is the third classification of Menos and the highest level of evolution. They are extremely small Hollows, roughly the same size as humans, and are extremely rare in number." Runashi noticed the confused look on Kagome's face. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to learn everything."

Kagome nodded before a thought hit her. "Hey what happened to my body? I mean I woke up in a Shinigami outfit."

Runashi looked away. "Follow me." She pushed away from the well and started through the city like village. Kagome followed, taking notice of the village as they walked. Without people the village seemed slightly creepy. Kagome stuck close to Runashi as they walked. She was led to the far end of the village where a cave resided. Kagome paused as she got a good look at the cave. She looked back around the village, her mouth open slightly, then back to the cave.

It was the same cave Onigumo, the human origin of Naraku, resided in.

"Come." Runashi motioned as she continued to the entrance to the cave. Kagome hurried to stay next to Runashi. Together they entered the cave. It was much deeper than the cave Onigumo had resided in. The deeper they walked the darker and colder it got. Soon Runashi stopped. "There." She pointed deeper into the cave.

Kagome took a few steps forward. She carefully looked around in the dark. She didn't see anything but…wait there in the darkness chained to the wall was a figure. A light behind her shone brightly, catching her attention. Runashi was holding up a small ball of light.

Looking back at the figure Kagome couldn't hold in the gasp at what she saw. There sleeping, was herself but only in solid white. From her shihakusho to her hair and skin, it was all solid white. Her lips were black as were the tips of her fingernails. There was a thick cuff around each wrist and ankle that was connected to thick chains that lead to the wall.

"I don't understand." Kagome looked back to Runashi who was looking away. "Who is this?"

"When you arrived you were still alive but as you recall, you died shortly after arriving followed by Naraku." Kagome nodded as she tried not to think about that. "You didn't become a Shinigami at first. You were the same as all other souls. But you kept fighting against Naraku."

"I know that. I'm asking where that came from." Kagome pointed to the sleeping figure, "and what happened to my body."

"I'm getting there. You were still determined to defeat Naraku but he got one lucky hit against you and shattered your Chain of Fate. The hit was so close to your chest you didn't even have time to process it before you started becoming a Hollow. Naraku didn't understand what was going on so he just stood there and watched. When the process was finished you were both Shinigami and Hollow. I'm not sure what happened to cause this but after the process was complete you had a bone mask like a Hollow on. She appeared shortly afterwards. While you were fighting and she was still unconscious I was able to bring her here and chain her to the wall. She's been sleeping ever since. As for your body, during the process Naraku absorbed it into him. I guess he hoped to gain either a boost in power or immunity to your powers."

Kagome looked at the Hollow. "I recall my father mentioned something once about Shinigami who had somehow obtained Hollow like powers but I can't remember anything else." She didn't comment on her lost body. It wouldn't have lasted long here anyway. She shuddered as she looked at the Hollow. "What happened to the rest of Naraku's body? I mean the parts I didn't…" she swallowed roughly with a grimace, "…I didn't eat."

Runashi sighed, "What wasn't eaten was left for other Hollows to feast on I suppose. Since you fled the area and was extremely weak I can't say for sure. All I do know is that he's good and dead and won't be bothering you ever again."

Kagome sighed, "I suppose so."

Runashi hummed as she turned and walked out of the cave. "I'll keep an eye on her until we know more. For now you should wake up and move, it will soon no longer be safe to just sit around."

Kagome nodded as she left the cave.

_I'm holding onto you_

_I'm holding onto you_

Kagome opened her eyes and noticed the sky was still dark. She was sure she had been meditating for a while so it should have at least been getting light out. But the stories her father had told her were true. It was a never ending night in a white desert. Sighing she stood up, placing her sword on her back. There was nothing around her but the sand. She knew the basics of the place, mostly desert with a forest somewhere and a rocky cavern.

Spreading out her powers Kagome could sense the Hollows under the ground, above the ground, in the air. It wouldn't be safe anywhere. She would have to keep moving, resting only when she felt safe, and eating when she could.

"I will have no regrets." Kagome looked toward the never moving moon as she began to move.

Everything she had done had been for her loved ones. She didn't know how long she would be there or if they would ever figure out what had happened. She was sure her father would eventually find the necklace missing. She knew he would figure out who took it and approach her mother. She was sure then her mother would spill about what she had been doing over the year. But that wouldn't be for a while. Until then the thought that everyone she loved was safe kept her moving.

And even though it would cause her family pain to know her fate, she would have no regrets.

She wished Sango and Miroku a long and happy life filled with many children.

She wished Shippo to grow up to be a strong youkai.

She wished Kikyo and Inuyasha luck on their second chance.

She wished Sesshomaru and Inuyasha for a chance to patch up their dispute and become like brothers.

She wished her mother and brother well.

Focusing on staying away from any Hollows for now, Kagome continued down her chosen path.

"I have no regrets."

_There's a hate inside of me like some kind of master  
I tried to save you, but I can't find the answer  
I'm holding onto you, I'll never let go  
I need you with me as I enter the shadows_

* * *

Well, there we go. Let me know what you think and where I can improve for my other stories.


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